Internal-combustion engine



July 25, 1950 W. A. BECK INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan. 5, 1946 IIIII'IIIII'III II IIIIIIIIIII 4 i 1N1 'EN TOR. Z my Q 6% Mean; $2M

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Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED}?! STATES 2 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to provements. in nintern l c mbustion ,en

and'relates morespeclficillyjtoimprovements in the construction and}. operation .of four-cycle,

opposed=cylinder'; engines of i the internal com bustionl/ types. The primary. object 'of this invention is to provide an; improved 'four cycle :gopposed-cylinder internal combustionengin'e which is simple and compact in construction; and which is also highly efficient 'in'operationf It 'has heretoforebeen proposed to provide a four-cycle"two-cylinder "opposedtype of internal combustion-enginerwhereinithe1crank case was; utilized for-high charge compression purposes; but thiS-particular-typeof "engine has not proven satisfactory -;-prim'arily 4 because of 7 *difiiculties,

encounteredin -starting dueto -high pressure act-; ing= simultaneously on bothpistons; and also;

because-*ofthe' relatively l arge-bu1k' of thepriorassemb'lagese-it has also -been= proposed to -'pro--';'

vide such aninternal combustion engine -with out--erank-'- case compression; and-wherein none of the explosive mixture was permitted to enter the crank casew andthis modified type Was-- objectionable because the main pistons could notbe uti-lized to --i.introduce =the successivefuel cha'rges into-theeylinder's and also because 'i-t eliminated the' possibility of utilizing the fuel as -a carrienifor crank ease lubrication. L Neither oftheseeprioritypes -of tour-cycleengines made any..-.provision\aioifilimiting thecrank case volumetriccapaei-ty,v.-and =while the crank case compression; typeiracilitaited the injection of th'e'---fuel'- under higmpressurenit was shardto start, whereasthenotheraitypez'required the "provision: of special fuel. injection means: and also introduced complicat-ionssiin-llubiiicationt- Both' oi-these prior ypesef zfcu'ree cleitwvogop osedncylinder internal" combustion 1 '1 engines EeWSFS 1-. therefore relatively jectionable: and meter became: popular witli 1 the :tra'dee It is therefore a more specific objectfofelmyfi ventieneit p ovider can; sim'provedmfour cy-cle internals-comb tiomengine cf the? to rDIIQYidG a simple; -gcomiflacticlight+weight:and inexnensireeinternai eombustionw-enginei which.

'o:-'oppo'sedt-; ylindentypewinw-wh-icnalliworking:parts may:be:: n ye pplie ..,with:zlubricantrtogether with'rthefuelnOI'wQXPlQSiYQfiHli-Xtfll'fi, :which mayzbereadily? and reliably started, and which stilhutilizesathetages of my inventiona will be ,apparent-.-from' @ther; following detailed .descriptipn.- e

A clear conception of the; features consfitutms;

ing a part, of ,this.specification!wherein like z references, characters designate q-theyqsameor similar; parts in the'various views q Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic- .,longitudinakyertical section through atypiqahfolln-fiycletwo-opposed cylinder internal combustion :engine showing;th left piston beginning its intake ,orsuetionistroke s: and the right piston beingtsubjectedrto its-powem stroke by explosion .of a previously,-compressed-'g fuel charge;

Fig. 2 is a simi1ar..view, .of ethesaine". engine showingthe left piston ,Jaegir ning v compres sion, stroke and thetright, piston-starting ion at exhaustpstroke;

Fig.3 is anothersimilar uiew -offtheassemblag showing the, left, piston, being. vsubjectedto itsg explosion or powertstroke and the right piston beginning its'intakeor suction stroke.; r-:;

Fig.1 4 is still. another, similar ,sectionalavieww of the same engine. showing ztheileftl -piston starting on.its exhaustmstrokes and, the right; piston beginning its'chargecompression. stroke; and

5 is "a diagrammatic.,rlongitudinalghori f zontalyseetion throughlthel engine showing, thee-z r limited volumetric capacity of .the. crank .ca sewi While" the invention .l lasfl been shownends; described herein as having been applieddiagram, matically' to a fourqcycle, two.,-o ppgsedecylinde internalcombustion engine ,wherein ,llhe, expl sive mixture is utilized asa carriergfcr' the-crank case lubricant, it is not my des'ire ior,intentiQn to unnecessarily restrict'thep-scqne or utilit'yn of ,,-g the improved-features by; ,yirtue, ,of this limited s disclos'ure.

Referring-to "-the' drawing; the; improved iourcl tw -0ppos d-cylindeni n ernal ,t mbus iorla' engine showny'therein, comprises inl eneralfla mainfrramexl form nee ..c kwcase. 8 halv 1.1 g: and right 'Cy1inder ..I9, i fd snwedton. QDDD: site sides thereof but slightlyputpfgaxialial V ment; a main shaft ll 'journalled for rotja on g, in theirame"! and having a pairof crank; pins H l3 and-cra-nk-* discs l 4 -revolig'able (within ,th

is adaptedi-riorzgiiuerseauses iespeciallynin ecases crankease '8; left-hrrd rig-ht" mainpistons' I 57-16 reciprocable within the cylinders 9, l respectively, and being connected to the adjacent crank pins I3 by means of connecting rods H; a fuel mixing device or carburetor l8 communicable with the crank case 8 past an explosive mixture supply valve I9; open conduits or passages 20, 2| of limited size connecting the crank case 8 with the outer ends of the cylinders 9, l0 respectively; an intake valve 22 interposed directly between each cylinder 9, l6 and its fuel supply passage 20, 2|; and an exhaust valve 23 for spent gasses associated with the outer end of each cylinder 9, Ill.

The main frame 1, cylinders 9, l0, and pistons l5, l6 are preferably formed of light but durable material and may be cooled in any well known manner, and the volume of the crank confining chamber or crank case 8 is preferably reduced to a minimum by filling excess space with relatively large and heavy discs M which provide considerable flywheel effect. The fuel supply device or carburetor 18 may be of any suitable type adapted to supply gaseous fuel mixed with and acting as a carrier for lubricating oil in sufficient quantities to maintain the crank pins 13, pistons l5, l6 and all of the valves amply lubricated at all times; and the supply and intake valves I9, 22 should be s'o-timed that "the pistons 15, H3 will merely act as a pump to positively inject the successive fuel charges into the cylinders 9, l0 without materially compressing the gasses confined within the'crank case 3." While the" conduits or passages 26,- 2! should preferablybe of limited size, they should not be restricted to such extent that they necessitate highcompression of the fuel in order to transfer the charges from the crank case ii to the cylinders 9', Hi; and the valves I9, 22, 23 may be of any suitable well known type and may be controlled by atim'er of suitable construction also well known to those skilled in the art.

When the improved four-cycle internal combustionengine has been properly constructed, assembled and adjusted, it may be readily started by initially rapidly revolving the main shaft I l a few turns in the usual manner, and'such starting is greatly facilitated due, to the fact that no high compression is ever established within the crank case 8; After the engine has been thus started, the following cycle of operations will be rapidly repeated. When the pistons 15, I6 recede from the outer ends of their strokes the valve 22 of the left cylinder 9 will be opened and the valve 22 of the right cylinder ill as well as both exhaust valves 23, will be closed as shown in Fig. l. The charge of explosive mixture thus confinedwithin the right cylinder 10 should then be ignited and the" resulting explosion will drive the piston I6 inwardly and will rotate the shaft I I while causing the simultaneously receding piston IE to draw a charge of fuel into the left cylinder 9 past the open valve 22. v

As the pistons l5, l6 reach the inner ends of their strokes, the previously open valve 22 of the left cylinder 9 will be closed and the exhaust valve 23 of the right cylinder will be opened, so that when the pistons begin their outward strokes as in Fig. 2, the left' piston will compress the fuel charge confined within the cylinder 9 while the right piston l6 will expel the exhaust gasses past the open valve 23 of the cylinder l 0. During the next inward stroke of the pistons l5, l6, both valves of the left cylinder 9 will be closed, and only the intake valve 22 of the right cylinder It! will be open as depicted in Fig. 3, whereupon the charge of fue confined within the left cylinder 9 will be exploded to force the piston l5 inwardly and to impart rotation to the shaft H, while the right piston I6 is drawing another fuel charge into its cylinder l0.

When the pistons l5, l6 reach the inner ends of their strokes as a result of this explosion, the valves 22, 23, of the right cylinder 10 will be closed and only the exhaust valve 23 of the left cylinder 9 will be opened, as shown in Fig. 4, and the piston t6 during its next outward stroke will compress the fuel charge confined within the cylinder l0, while the outwardly moving opposed piston l5 will expel spent gasses from the cylinder 9 past the open exhaust valve 23. Rotating impulses will thus be imparted to the shaft H in rapid succession and the speed of rotation may be readily controlled or regulated in a well known manner, and the supply valve 19 may be automatically opened and closed in properly timed relationship to the opening and closing of the intake valves 22, in any desired and well known manner.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that my present invention provides a simple, compact, and highly efficient four-cycle opposed-cylinder internal combustion engine which may be conveniently started. Reliable and easy starting of the improved engine is greatly facilitated by avoiding high pressures within the crank case 8 at all times, as the pistons l5, 16 act merely as low pressure fuel displacement members during their return strokes but do serve to positively inject the fuel charges into the cylinders 9, l0 during the intake strokes thereof. By thus utilizing the pistons rapid injection of full charges of fuel into each cylinder, is assured without resorting to the use of special pumps or other apparatus for insuring such full fuel charges when operating at high speed. The admission of the fuel to the crank case 8, however permits lubricant to be supplied to the crank pin and shaft bearings with the fuel; and by utilizing the fuel as a lubricant carrier, the pistons, cylinders and valves may all be effectively lubricated without resorting to complicated lubricating mechanisms. It is also preferable to reduce the volumetric capacity of the crank case 8 and of the conduits 20, 2|, as much as possible in order to increase the efiiciency or pumping action of the pistons l5, l6 under low pressure, to a maximum extent; and such reduction in size also provides greater compactness in the motor as a whole. The pistons l5, l6 thus serve as effective superchargers for positively introducing the fuel into the cylinders without necessarily resorting to special and more complicated supercharging mechanisms, but do not undesirably hinder or obstruct the starting effort. The present improvement has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual use, and provides a light but powerful internal combustion engine adapted for diverse uses, which may be manufactured and sold at-very low cost.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and operation, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising, a pair of cylinders separated by an intervening crank case and each having a piston reciprocable therein, a pair of opposite throw crankS each connected to one of said pistons by a connecting rod and being simultaneously revolvable to reciprocate said pistons in opposite directions Within said cylinders, said crank case being only of sufficient size as to snugly confine said cranks so as to reduce the volumetric capacity of the confining space to minimum clearance requirements, and means for causing said pistons to positively urge gaseous fuel charges at approximately atmospheric pressure from within said crank case into said cylinders during in-strokes of the pistons.

2. A four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising, a pair of cylinders separated by an intervening crank case and each having a piston reciprocable therein, a pair of opposite throw cranks each connected to one of said pistons by a connecting rod and being simultaneously revolvable to reciprocate said pistons in opposite directions within said cylinders, said crank case being only of sufficient size as to snugly confine eous fuel charges at approximately atmospheric pressure from within said crank case into said cylinders during each in-stroke of both pistons.

WILLIAM A. BECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

